2008 AFC Challenge Cup


The 2008 AFC Challenge Cup football tournament was hosted by India and played from 30 July – 13 August 2008. India won the final against Tajikistan. India was also the winner of the fair play award and the India captain Bhaichung Bhutia won the most valuable player award.
Chinese Taipei was originally designated the host, but could not guarantee it would meet the AFC's standards for hosting the tournament. Thailand was first chosen as host but withdrew due to lack of time to prepare. The Philippines also was to take over as host with matches to be played in Bacolod in May 2008 but the plan failed to materialized.
The winners of the 2008 and 2010 competitions will qualify directly for the 2011 Asian Cup. This competition is exclusive to members of the emerging nations class of the AFC. However, in the previous edition, Bangladesh and India were invited from the developing nations class - Bangladesh actually hosting the tournament, and India sending their under-20 team. India and Bangladesh have again been invited for the 2008 edition of the tournament, along with North Korea, Myanmar and Turkmenistan who are also a part of the developing nations class.
Laos withdrew from the competition on 2 May 2008.
Palestine withdrew from the competition on 14 May 2008.
Due to the poor conditions of the pitch at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, the AFC moved the majority of the matches to another venue. It was decided that ten matches would be played at the Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, and two at the LBS Stadium. Due to incessant rains in Hyderabad in the days leading up to the final, the AFC changed the venue of the final and the third place play-off to the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi.

Tournament

Qualification saw the top team from each of the four qualification groups qualify for the tournament proper, bringing the total number of participating teams in the centralized finals to eight. In addition, India, Korea DPR, Turkmenistan and Myanmar qualified automatically.
Mongolia and Timor-Leste decided not to take part.

Seeding

Bold Type - qualified teams, Italics - withdrawn teams
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Venues


Qualification

The following teams qualified for the final tournament:

Group stage

All times are Indian Standard Time –
Key to colours in group tables
Top two placed teams advance to the semi-finals

Tie-breaking criteria

Where two or more teams end the group stage with the same number of points, their ranking is determined by the following criteria:
  1. points earned in the matches between the teams concerned;
  2. goal difference in the matches between the teams concerned;
  3. number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
  4. goal difference in all group matches;
  5. number of goals scored in all group matches;
  6. kicks from the penalty mark ;
  7. fewer yellow and red cards received in the group matches;
  8. drawing of lots by the organising committee.

    Group A


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Group B


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Knockout stage

Semi-finals

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Third place play-off

Final

Winner

Awards

Goalscorers

;6 goals
;4 goals
;3 goals
;2 goals
;1 goal
;1 goal
;Own goal